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J. KEITH. SEWING MACHINE.

No.*243,71 0. Patented July 5, 1881.

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N. mans Phamunmmr. Washington. D41;

' UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEREMIAH KEITH, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 243,710, dated July 5, 1881.

Application filed October 4,1880. (Model) 7 To an whom it may concern:

Be it" known that I, JEREMIAH KEITH, of the city and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, hilNe invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Machinesyaud I do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top view, Fig. 2 a front-end elevation, partly in section, Fig. 3 an underside view, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal and vertical section, of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 5 is a side view of the looper and cast-ofi', their supporter, and frictionbrake, to be hereinafter explained. Fig. 6 is a top view of part of the shnttle-raceand of the looper and cast-off, as arranged therewith. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the looper and cast-off, their supporter and friction-brake, and its adjusting-screw. Fig. 8 is a section of the shuttle'raee, showing the looperand cast-oft as drawn entirely back and down in the race, so as to be out of the way of the shuttle, such shuttle and the needle being also represented in the said figure.

The present invention has reference to sewing-machines provided not only with a shuttle and needle to perform what is termed lockstitch sewing, but with a looper and cast-oil, to operate with the needle, to enable the machine to perform what is termed chain-stitch sewing, a sewing-machine of such character beingrepresented in Patent No. 233,626, dated October 26, 1880, and granted to me, in which I have claimed a looping-hook and a cast-off, and mechanism for operating them, as explained, in combination with an eye-pointed needle, having mechanism for operating it, substantially as set forth. In the said machine the looper and cast-off were arranged horizo'ntally over the shuttle-race, and had no other than horizontal movements, the shuttle, while in operation, being caused to move in a path below the said looper and cast-off. In my present improvement the looper and cast;oft' are differently arranged as to the shuttle-race, and are adapted and provided with means of raisin g and depressing them relatively thereto and to the needle, in order for the shuttle, while in operation, to play or move over the looper and the cast-ofi' without hinderance therefrom, and such looper and cast-off, on the shuttle being withdrawn from its race and shuttle-carrier, to be moved up or within the shuttle-race to a suitable position for them to properly operate with the needle for the performance of the chain-stitch sewing. Furthermore, I provide that face of the shuttle-race against which the shuttle works or bears while in movement not only with the usual needle-receiving recess, but with another recess or groove arranged in close proximity therewith, it being for the purpose of retaining the loop in proper position while the looper and cast-oft may be advancing for the looper to seize the thread for the next loop.

In the drawings, the needle is shown at a, and its bar or carrier at A.

B is the shuttle-race, of which I) and c are the side plates or walls, while 01 and e are its removable cap-plates.

C- is the bed or base plate, and D the arm, of the machine.

F is the looping-hook; G, its supporter, and H the cast-off, the said supporter .being a projection from the side wall,c, of the shuttle-race. A screw, f, going through a curved slot, 9, arranged in the looper, as represented, screws into the supporter G, the nicked head of the screwhavin g adiameter greater than the width of the said slot, in order for the screw to aid with the said supporter in properly sustaining the looper and allowing it to move forward and back and up and down, as may be required. The east-off is held to the looper by a clasp, h, fastened to the latter and arranged as shown, the said cast-oft, at its rear end, being provided with a projection, i, to enter a recess, 70, in the looper.

The friction spring of the looper is shown at l, and its pressure-adiustin g screw at m. There extends back from the looper a curved bar, a, which is properly connected to the looper, and carries a friction-roller, 0, against which the cam 19, for effecting the back movement of the looper, works. The bar 'n extends through and rests on a staple, q, projecting from the baseplate, as shown in Fig. 3. The bar can tilt on the staple, so as to enable the looper to be moved upward and downward, as may be required. The forward movement of the said looper is effected by a spring, r, applied to the base-plate O, and to bear against a stud, 8, projecting up from the rear part of the bar it.

There extends up from the said bar 40, through a slot t, in the base-plate, a stud, u. A switch or lever, v, pivoted to the base-plate and arranged with the stud u, as shown, serves to effect a rearward movement of the looper sufficient to cause it, by its support-screw f and curved slot g, to be suitably depressed in the shuttle-race so as to be out of the way of the shuttle when therein and in movement. The rear arm of the switch or lever 22 is a spring or elastic, to enable it while in movement to be sprung over a projection or stud w, extending up from the baseplate, such stud serving as a stop to hold the lever in position, so as to cause the looper to be held back until it may be desirable to allow it to move forward and upward to its proper place to operate with the eyepointed needle.

In Figs. 4 and 6 the groove heretofore mentioned for retaining the loop in proper position while the looper and cast-off may be advancing for the looper to seize the thread or next loop is shown at x, such groove being made vertically in the inner side of the plate or wall b of the shuttle-race and close to the recess a, in which the needle moves. On the advance of the looper the loop on it will expand into the groove and beheld by it while the east-ofi' advances through the loop. Were it not for the groove the loop would be liable to twist or be moved out of its proper position for the advance of the cast-off.

In a sewing-machine provided with a shuttle-looper and east-oft to operate with a needle for producing either a lock-stitch or a chainstitch, as described, I claim- 1. The combination of the looper and the cast-off with means of raising and depressing them relatively to the needle and the shuttle, substantially as set forth, in order for the shuttle, while in operation, to play free of the looper, and the latter, when the shuttle is out of its race, to be adjusted to operate with the needle, as explained.

2. The combination of the groove w in the wall I) of the shuttle-race with the looper and castofi', and the needle to operate therewith, substantially as set forth;

JEREMIAH KEITH.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, S. N. PIPER. 

